Bye, Bye, Blackbird
by MissVictoriaRose
Summary: What happens when Katherine picks up a travel companion when on the run from Mystic Falls in 1864? What if said person was the youngest sister of the Salvatore's? The worst thing that could happen is she catches the attention of a particular Original.
1. The beginning

**Mystic Falls 1864**

They were dead.

My brothers were dead. My sweet beloved brothers were shot dead before my own eyes.

Our own father killed them in cold blood. How could I ever look that man in the eye again knowing that his own children's blood is on his hands? I can't. So what do I do? I run.

I run like hell.

I make it through the forest towards the outskirts of town only to have someone grab me.

"It's okay. It's okay. You are going to be okay" I look up to see none other than Katherine Pierce. I haven't known her long but in this short time she has become like an older sister to me.

"They're dead. My brothers are dead. My father is a murder and the town has gone crazy! How am I going to be okay?" I ask, barely refraining from screaming at the absurdity my life has become.

"They aren't finitely dead. I can explain everything but I need you to make a choice right now and make it fast"

"Okay. What are my choices?" Make like Scarlett and freak out tomorrow.

"You can come with me, I can show you a new life you've never even thought to dreamed of. I can give you what you have always wanted. We can be each other's family. Please, I really did love both of your brothers. For them, let me save you. Please, come with me, my sister," I would learn later that this was the only time Katherine Pierce ever said please. She held her hand out as she got up in the carriage.

"Do you promise to have my back as I promise to have yours?"

"Yes, I promise. I will teach you everything I know. The world is await us"

"Well, we mustn't keep it waiting, sister" I said taking her hand and getting in the carriage.

* * *

"So what did you mean when you said that my brothers weren't finitely dead?"

"What do you know about vampires?"

"Like the undead? I was lead to believe they were just in stories but by your line of questioning I'm guessing not," I said looking her in the eye.

"My favorite things about you are that you are quick to get things and you don't cower. Both will save your life one day. Yes vampires are real. I am one of them and now so are each of your brothers," She says simply.

"Am I going to become one?"

"That is my hope. I'm giving you the option. If you will let me, I would like to tell you about it and let you choose" She says. I get comfortable because I have a feeling this talk is going to take a while.

"Vampires are temptation incarnate. We are forever young, never growing old. We drink blood. We can compel our way out or into any situation. We are strong and we are fast. Other than a wooden stake and a werewolf bite, we are invisible. To become like me, one has to first drink vampire blood. Then die with it in their system"

"So when my father shot them…" I try to ask without actually having to say it.

"They died with my blood in them"

"What else do I need to know?"

"You are very hungry in the beginning. It over powers all other feelings and all rational thought. That is until you learn to control it. If you choose to become like me I will help you through it"

"Why me?"

"You were the first person I had come across in a very long time that made me feel like I belong. You made me miss my sister when I was human. You are very much like her. I miss that closeness with someone"

"Why haven't you been able to have that?"

"I will tell you that if you really want to know. But knowing will be dangerous"

"Please, tell me"

"I've been on the run for about 300 years"

"Why?" I ask pulling her into a hug. She lays in my arms telling the rest of her story.

"When I was human I had a child before I was married off. At that time it was far more than frowned upon. My father banished me from my home country for it. So I travel to England. Along the way I learned enough to be able to pass as a lady of high standing. I had hoped that I could marry someone of money and live better than my father in hopes to fix my self-esteem. But instead I met a man that wanted more than I would ever willingly give" She says lost in the past.

"What did he want?" I ask in a whisper.

"My life" She replied equally quiet before slipping out of her mood. "But fate worked in my favor and I was able to slip through his fingers. I became a vampire and I ran. I've been running ever since"

"Who was he?"

"Niklaus Mikaelson. A man I hope you never meet"

"If I am ever lucky. Are we running now?"

"I am, if you choose to become like me you will have a choice to come with me"

"I choose you. I'll run with you. As far as the world is concerned you are my sister. We will have each others backs," I say hugging her close to me.

"You mean that? You will give up a normal life and come with me?" She asks surprised.

"I am way to good for a normal life anyways. I was born to have the world in the palm of my hand. It would be only right for me to see all of it. So when do you want to do this?"

"When we get to Boston. I have a very nice witch who is going to make you a daylight ring. Once I know you have one, then I will turn you"

_My name is Francisca Salvatore, and at the age of 17 I became a vampire._


	2. Learning the ropes

**Boston 1864**

"It is a simple as letting yourself feel the hunger and biting down," Katherine instruct over my shoulder as I hold my soon to be lunch. We have been practicing all week and I am slowly getting the hang of when to vamp out and how to hide what I am doing. "You are getting good. We are going to start working on controlling the hunger. The key is to not let yourself get too parched" She says with a smile.

"Why can't I just eat when I'm hungry?"

"Because then you run the risk of killing your meal" She says with little emotion.

"And that's bad..." I say unsure of how I actually feel on the matter.

"Don't. We are keeping a low profile. If you start down that road it will be a long battle to come back. The guilt of the kill will suffocate you. We, as vampires, have darkness in us. You have to fight it. Plus, dead bodies always draw attention," There was a feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew I wanted more. I knew I wanted to drain someone, to kill. But for the safety of my sister I will fight it.

"Noted. I'm getting bored," I say lightly rolling my eyes

"What would you like to do?"

"Shopping, but we have no money"

"Oh sweetie, why spend our money when there is always a noble gentleman willing to look out for two heiresses who have lost their why?" She says with a smirk.

"How are we going to pull that off?"

"Simply look the part then with a cover story of why we need a place to say. The trick is to never over explain yourself"

* * *

Sure enough, by sundown we were dressed in the latest fashion walking up to a large manor. She knocked on the door, a maid answered.

"I'm sorry to bother you at such a time of night but our carriage broke down and we don't know what to do" Katherine says distraughtly, putting on quite the show.

"Stay here ma'am, let me get Mr. Du Pont," The maid says quickly running off and returning with an older gentle men in his late 40's.

"Who are you two?" He asks rather rudely.

"I am Francisca Vanderbilt and this is my sister Katherine. We were on our way to Manhattan to visit our uncle when we ran in to some problems with our carriage. We were wondering if you might be of assistance," I say as innocently as I can.

"Vanderbilt, huh? Do come in, it would be my honor to help such fine ladies" Katherine secretly smirks at me as we are able to walk in to his house. "Now let's teach you compulsion. Look directly in to his eyes. Give a clear statement of what you want him to do. Let your order take route and you are done," She says in a whisper.

"What do you want me to tell him?" I whisper back as we follow him into the parlor.

"Tell him to not ask anyone or tell anyone about us. We are ladies of class staying with him until we can make our way to Manhattan. Tell him to treat us as if he were trying to impress us," She says and I word for word follow her instructions.

"That was really good!" She says with a smile. "Now, sister, let's explore our new home," we walk off hand in hand through the house.


	3. Into the Darkness

**Boston 1866**

I should have listened to Kat when she tried to warn me. Me, hunger, and crowds don't mix well and now I'm stuck watching this opera while all I can think about is sinking my fangs into my date. I worked too hard to get here to just loose control and ruin everything. I try my hardest to focus my breathing like I have been taught. Finally intermission rolls around and I drag my date out the side door into the alley. I can feel someone following me but I'll deal with them after I feed.

"Baby vampires, always so reckless. Although, you do have better control then most. What is your name, love?" The gentleman asks once I'm done. I compel my date to go back to our seats.

"That, kind sir, is none of your business" I tell him and start to walk away. He grabs my arm and I turn around to face him. He was beautiful. He had the face that you would picture when someone tells you about immortal beauty. Standing there before me could be none other than Dionysus himself. A part of me, very deeply buried, wanted nothing more than to worship at his alter.

"Wait. Would you like to get a drink with me?" he says with a smirk. "I know of a place where you can drink till your hearts content," The hunger, barley touched by the blood of my date, still burns, so I take him up on his offer.

"A whore house? You brought me to a whore house?" I ask slightly confused and appalled.

"Come young raven, you shouldn't judge so quickly. We are here to play," He says with a smirk.

"Why did you call me raven? And what makes you think I want to... Play?"

"You remind me of a raven bird, a beautiful thing that is often both a good omen and a sign of death coming. I know you want to play, the twinkle your eyes got when I mentioned it told me so"

"We are going to kill them?" I ask unsure how I feel about it.

"Do you want to?"

"Honestly. I don't know. I want to a little bit but we shouldn't"

"Says who? My little raven, you are a vampire. We play by different rules. We drink blood. Humans have blood flowing through their veins. So what if we drink it all? We are going to out live them anyways. Why not let their life serve a purpose? It's okay to indulge in your dark desires. Don't let silly human notions dictate how you live your life. You are an immortal, Raven. Let loose your darkness and come play," he says as he bites in to a girl quickly draining her until she falls to the floor. He grabs the next one and offers me his hand. I take it and slowly walk towards the girl. He runs his hand down my cheek slowly. I take a deep breath and I can feel the veins under my eyes run dark and my fangs elongate.

"Beautiful" I hear him murmur as I bite into the girl drinking strongly. I can feel her life draining from her. I release my hold and she falls to the floor dead.

"I want more!" I tell him as I speed to the next girl. He walks up behind me putting one hand on my hip and he bites into the other side of the girl's neck. We drain everyone there before burning the place down to cover our tracks.

As we watch the flames take hold I can feel him kiss up my neck and wrap his hands around my waist. We make it to his house on to his bed in a mess of clothes, kisses, and love bites. I feel euphoric from the rush of killing and drinking. We spend the rest of the night indulging in our most animalistic primal desires

As dawn comes, I slide out of bed to watch the sunrise from his window. Lying on the desk in front of the window is an open letter, curiosity gets the better of me and I read it. It is a letter to a man making plans to meet up in New York. Signed by none other than Niklaus Mikaelson. Oh shit, Katherine! I look back at the man I just spent the best night of my life with feeling torn. I grab a new paper and a pen to write my own note:

_As the darkness rises, the raven takes flight. _  
_You will see me again, Niklaus Mikaelson. _  
_Until then, forever your blackbird,  
__Francisca Salvatore._

Then I'm out the window. Running through the town in nothing but my knickers.

I bust down the door to our home in a frantic mess trying to put on a new dress and get my hair under control

"What happened to you?" Katherine asks, her voice full of humor as she watches me scramble to look decent.

"No time to explain. Paris is burning" I tell her our secret code as I quickly get into a new dress. She runs off to compel the family to forget us. We vamp speed out of Boston before the sun is fully rising. I want to say that was the last time I crossed paths with Klaus but life is never that kind. Who am I to say no to temptation? This was the beginning of a hundred and fifty year affair of balancing lust and loyalty between the two most cunning people I ever met.

* * *

Klaus' PoV

There was something about this girl. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. Which was odd in itself. I enjoy operas, but I barely watched the one on the stage in favor of this young woman. She reminded me of the moon with her raven black hair and pale skin. As the show went on I could see she began to fidget more. What a mystery she is. Intermission came and she practically dragged her date out the side door. I slowly followed in the shadows.

Ah, baby vampires. I wonder how she came about to be this goddess in the dark. I couldn't help myself. I wanted to know her. "Baby vampires, always so reckless. Although, you do have better control then most. What is your name, love?" I ask as she compels the man away.

"That, kind sir, is none of your business" Feisty. The more her velvet like voice rings in my ear the more I am intrigued. She starts to walk away and I can't have this be the end of talking to her. I grab her arm in hopes to convince her to stay.

"Wait. Would you like to get a drink with me? I know of a place where you can drink till your hearts content," immediately I can tell she wants more. She's never played in the darkness. She's never given in to temptation, into the lifestyle that is there for her taking. He would be more than happy to show her what she's been missing. This will be fun...

"A whore house? You brought me to a whore house?" Her voice was something between wanting to be appalled and confusion. Oh how much she has to learn.

"Come young raven, you shouldn't judge so quickly. We are here to play," I says with my classic smirk

"Why did you call me raven? And what makes you think I want to... Play?" She crosses her arms and stares me down. Oh, I do love me a stubborn woman.

"You remind me of a raven bird, a beautiful thing that is often both a good omen and a sign of death coming. I know you want to play, the twinkle your eyes got when I mentioned it told me so"

"We are going to kill them?" I can see the want in her eye and call her on it.

"Do you want to?" I ask wondering how she is going to answer.

"Honestly. I don't know. I want to, a little bit, but we shouldn't" Oh my sweet little bird, how wrong you are.

"Says who? My little raven, you are a vampire. We play by different rules. We drink blood. Humans have blood flowing through their veins. So what if we drink it all? We are going to out live them anyways. Why not let their life serve a purpose? It's okay to indulge in your dark desires. Don't let silly human notions dictate how you live your life. You are an immortal, Raven. Let loose your darkness and come play," I tell her as I bite in to the girl in my arms, draining her quickly until she falls to the floor.

I grab the next one and offers her my hand. She gently takes it and slowly walks towards us. I run my hand down her soft cheek slowly and watch as she takes a deep breath. I can see the veins under her eyes turn dark and her fangs elongate. She is breath taking. "Beautiful" I murmur as she bites into the girl. It is by far the most erotic thing I have ever seen as she drinks her fill.

"I want more!" That's my girl, I think as she runs off for the next one. This time she won't be drinking alone. Together we drain everyone here of their blood before I set the place on fire in order to cover up the cause of death.

I walk up behind her and start kissing her neck. I can't believe I have found such a goddess. She will be mine for eternity. I bring her back to my house. Clothes are ripped and thrown every which way. I quickly have her underneath me withering and moaning for more, which I am happy to give. We spend the rest of the night indulging in our most animalistic primal desires.

I wake up alone much to my annoyance. I see that the window is open and a note left laying before it.

"As the darkness rises, the raven takes flight. You will see me again Niklaus Mikaelson. Until then, forever your blackbird, Francisca Salvatore."

The wolf in me smiles. If she wants to run, I will gladly chase my little bird.


	4. Do You Promise?

"So, you slept with klaus?" Katherine asks.

"Yes" I answer watching her for how see will take the news.

"How did that happened?" I can see the concern in her eyes.

"I killed someone. Well people"

"And that lead to sex?"

"NO!... Well... Yes, but not like what your thinking. We burnt the house down in between the two"

"What?" She gives me a look that is somewhere between proud and worry. "Okay start from the beginning"

"It started at the opera"

"What did?"

"Us meeting. He followed me when I dragged my date outside for a snack"

"Frannie..."

"I know! It was reckless but I was starving. He pegged me immediately as a vampire, a baby one at that" I tell her.

"And?"

"He asked me if I wanted to get a drink" I said shrugging.

"And then you ended up burning a house down?"

"To cover our tracks. Yes"

"Then…?" She makes a hand gesture for me to get on with the story.

"Back to his house" Wow my feet are really interesting all of the sudden.

"Ohh so blushy... Wait. Was klaus your first?" I didn't say anything although I'm sure my cheeks were red as roses. "He was! How was it? How was he? Did you enjoy it? If you ever saw him again would you go another round?" She rattled off questions as she jumped up to hug me.

"If I was sure you were safe, and the right situation arose, I might do it again" I say quietly.

"Uh-hu. I saw that smile. Leave me out of the equation and answer the questions!"

"I slept with your sworn enemy. How are you okay with this? I feel awful!"

"I'm okay with it because I've never seen you smile and blush at the same time and I've watch everyone from the richest lords to the manliest soldiers try to flirt with you, none of them receiving even the slightest bit of interest from you"

"He's hunting you"

"Which means you'll see him again" She says a matter of fact.

"Honestly? That is your take on this. Miss self preservation is okay with her best friend sleeping with a guy who wants to kill her?"

"Him and I have a unfortunate past, correct. But it truly sounds like you and him had a fun night and from what I know, klaus doesn't do fun nights. So you must be something to him"

"We just met. It was one night. It was epic, but I don't know him. You are my sister. That isn't going to change over a guy and I am certainly not going to put you in danger just to talk to him again. Besides he's like a thousand years old, he's not going to care about me more than a night"

"Frannie"

"Yes"

"You _are_ the best thing to ever happen to him. Me too, but I'll never admit that again. If fate works out for you to see him again, take the chance and talk to him. I won't ever like him but if he makes you happy, I'm okay with that"

"Do you promise?"

"I promise"


	5. A Good Deal Struck

**London 1876**

I've spent the last 10 years with Katherine. It has been filled with happiness and amazing shoes, but now we have parted ways. Hopefully only for a short while. But now I'm sitting in the bar of a hotel all alone when I hear a familiar voice from the past.

"How is it that the first time I come close to capturing Katerina, I find you here alone, my little raven?"

"Fate or coincidence, your pick" I say with a smile.

"Where is she?" He asks, quickly getting irate.

"Ask me something else" I say with a sweet smile

"Why are you protecting her?" Apparently my smile calmed him, even if a little, but none the less that little fact made my heart flutter.

"She is my sister. I will always protect her"

"She has no family. I made sure of that"

"She has me. She always will" I give him a stubborn look.

"Even after all she has done in the name of survival? Even if she has wronged me?"

"There is no right or wrong when it comes to life and death. She choose life and you have been hunting her ever since. I dare you to tell me you wouldn't have made the same choice" I say looking him in the eye.

"Perhaps. But I am curious as to how someone like Katerina could have won the loyalty of someone like you"

"She saved my life, twice over. She took me from a bad situation and taught me how to survive the ages. For that and so much more, I won't betray her. No matter what you try"

"She betrayed me. I will kill her" He says as if telling me the weather.

"No. She ran for her life, Nik. Everyone has a right to fight for there life. They may loose that fight but they have a right to fight for it. You've killed people and you have spared them. Why does her dying matter so much to you?"

"She hasn't told you, raven?"

"I want to hear it from you"

He pays for my drinks and tells me to follow him. We go up to a hotel room. I make myself comfy on the bed as he paces in front.

"I want her dead because she was suppose to die centuries ago"

"Why, how?" I ask confused

"That is a very long story, raven" He stops pacing to look at me.

"I'll give you eternity" we both knew that was an answer to more than just the current conversation.

"I was the beginning" He starts pacing again. "My siblings and I were the start of all vampires. But I was something more. The first time I killed someone I triggered the curse"

"What curse?"

"The werewolf curse"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I've heard how painful that is. What does that have to do with anything?"

"The man I knew as my father isn't a werewolf"

"Oh. Ohhh..." I repeated again once I got what he wasn't saying.

"I was my mothers dirty little secret. When it came to light, her and my father, along with my brother's help, bound my werewolf side within a curse. I've been trying to undo it ever since" He says looking right at me. I assume waiting for my reaction to the hybrid news.

"I can't begin to imagine what would feel like. It must be awful, not feeling whole. And for your family to do that to you. How do you break it?" I ask honestly wanting to help.

"With sacrifices. I need to kill a werewolf, a vampire, and a doppelgänger in a ritual for it to work"

"Her running stopped the sacrifice, therefore I doubt she was playing the part of the vampire and I know she is not a werewolf..."

"She was the doppelgänger" He says confirming my thoughts.

"Well can't you just get a new one?"

"They come from the same bloodline and Katerina turned herself in to a vampire. Ending the line" But that's not true.

"So you want to kill her because she is dead?" He nodded. "Make me a deal" I say excitedly.

"Why?" clearly confused.

"Because I like the darkness. I like being with you but I won't endanger my best friend for it. Make me a deal"

"What exactly is this deal you want me to make?"

"You are agreeing that you won't intentionally put me in a position where I have to choose between the two of you and in the future you will be open to a deal of not only forgiving her but also let her go free. In exchange I'm going to help you"

"Help me with what? I just told you that it's hopeless now"

"Make the deal and find out" I say with a smile.

"Conditions. She makes a point to stay away from me. Just because I am no longer seeking her death does not mean I won't kill her on a whim if she crosses me" I nod my head in agreement with his conditions. "Then we have a deal, now tell me what you mean" I just looked at him "Would you like it sealed in blood?"

"Yes"

He pulls out a knife and cuts a line on his palm, then mine. We put our hands together and both repeat the verbal promise. I shutter as I feel the magic take hold.

"Now explain"

"Katherine gave birth to a child before she met you. She wasn't the end of her family's line"

"Interesting. So there is still a chance of another doppelgänger. Why do you care about all of this anyways?"

"If there is another doppelgänger, and if Katherine and I get her for you, I want you to forgive and forget all that she has done against you"

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I'm your raven"

"That doesn't mean a thing to me"

"Really? You haven't spent the last decade thinking about me? You don't lay awake at night reminiscing about my lips on your neck or my nails on your back? How about the sounds I make when I'm on the painful edge of euphoric bliss that only you have been able to drag from my lips?" I ask as I slowly walk closer to him

"I don't love. Don't come to me for that" We both know he's lying.

"I'm not looking for love tonight. I just want you" I whisper. That was the last coherent sentence of the night.

* * *

"What would you like to do today, my Raven?" He asks as I wake up. We are both laying naked in bed.

"You pick, but I'm a little bit hungry so start with breakfast" he laughs. We eat, vamp style, on the way in to town. There we spend the time window-shopping.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"I'm sure. I'm here for your time not your money"

"Here I thought you were just with me to bargain for your friends life"

"It is why I stayed in that bar to talk to you, True. We talked. Anything after that was because I wanted it. It wasn't manipulation" I say looking him straight in the eye so he knows I'm telling the truth.

"And now?"

"Now I am enjoying this wonderful day with you"

"That's all?"

"That's all. Just you, me and this city"

"I don't believe you"

"Which part?"

"That you are here for me. That there isn't some alternative motive"

"You are half correct. There is not alter motive of me being here, but I _am_ here for _me_. We had just arrived here when you got close. Katherine wanted to take off, self-preservation and all. But we traveled across the sea just to see this. So I told her that I would meet up with her after I have satisfied my curiosity of the legendary city"

"So she has no idea of the deal we struck"

"She wouldn't trust it anyways. No offense but you can be quite cunning when you want something. She will still run and I will still help her cover her tracks"

"Then why make the deal?"

"You mean why make a deal that binds you to focus your attention on finding something other than my sister?"

"Touché. You are a better strategist then anyone gives you credit for, my little raven"

"If you would be so kind as to be my tour guide for the city I would over look your short-coming of underestimating me. Only because I know you won't do it again"

"It would be my pleasure," He purred in my ear.


	6. Just Some Easy Fun and Fears

**New York 1888**

"It's been to long" Katherine says to me and we meet up for lunch.

"You've missed me" I say with a cheeky smile.

"I'll never admit that" She says with a smirk

"But we both know it" I say matching her smirk

"Why am I here?" All fun and games dropped.

"Because I missed you" I say giving her a warm hug. She just stands there. I roll my eyes knowing whats coming.

"So, I'm here. Please tell me this is some ruse to get me for Klaus" Called it.

"You're safe. I got you here because there is a very cute chef who makes very good soup" She looks at me for a bit then sits down.

"I'm trusting you"

"Good. You should. I figured out how to save your life" That stops her short.

"How so?" She asks quietly, like I am about to spill government secrets.

"We just need to find your replacement"

She is quiet for a moment. "So we need to find the doppelgänger and I'm free?"

"Correct"  
Another quiet moment. "I don't trust this"

"I know. My plan is to never get us in a position where he can renegade"

"I've taught you well" She says with her smirk back in place. "So what's going on with you two?"

I can't help but smile. Thanks to the years I spent with Nik, I have all but lost the school girl blush that came with talking about cute boys. "I love the person I can be with him. He makes me feel like I'm not a monster who has to hide half of myself"

"Do I make you feel like that?" She asks concerned.

"No, not at all, but we are on the run. We need to hide. You can not lie to me that the amount of time we spend trying to fit in with humans isn't exhausting. Then he comes in and all of the sudden I can just be me. I don't have to worry that he's judging me for my dark secrets or that I'm something not normal when I get hungry. I like that girl I am with him"

"You feel like that with me?"

"Katherine look at me. I choose this. I re-choose it when I came back to you. You are my sister and I would go to hell and back for you. Do not dare think that I resent you for this life because I don't"

"But you aren't happy"

"You are safe. Therefore I'm ecstatic" we both laugh at that ending the deep moment.

"Well if what you say about Klaus moving obsessions from my death, we can afford to have a little more fun"

"Ohh, Katherine fun. I'm going to like this" We share a smile that promises of a good night. A good time with Katherine is different than letting go with Nik. With Katherine it is filled with cute boys and people pampering us for free. With Nik, it's blood and passionate. I wont choose which one I like more because every girl needs her best friend and her boy toy to keep her entertained.

* * *

"So what are we doing here?" I say looking around at the people here to watch the show.

"I found Damon," she says pointing to the dark haired man at the end of the room. "Would you like to see him again?"

"No. I can't" I say sternly.

"Yes, you can! He is your brother and I know for a fact that he has been missing you"

"I can't, Kat"

"What are you afraid of?"

"That... I... He... No. I don't know but I can't do this" I take off back to where we are staying.

I hear her enter a little while later.

"They are your brothers, Frannie. They love you and they will always love you, even the vampire you. They are vampires too, so you know they won't judge. They will understand the change"

"Logically I know that but I can't help but feel like I'm disappointing them by not dying as that sweet innocent little girl they remember me as. I mean the last memory I have with Stefan was arguing over the difference between pink and red. I don't want to shatter that idea of me. How do you even start that conversation? 'Hey brother! Long time, no see. Want to go out throat-ripping together?' I mean I've changed Katherine. I don't even know how to be that girl anymore" I start to cry and fall to the floor. Katherine comes over and wraps her arms around me.

"О сладко момиче . Те ще те обичам . Обещавам ти. Това не е нещо, което да се притесняваш. Те просто ще се радвам , че си жив . Те ще ви отведе при най-лоши и те обичам за това . Това е, което семейството е предполагам, за да направя." (Oh sweet girl. They will love you. I promise you. This isn't something to worry about. They will just be happy that you are alive. They will take you at your worst and love you for it. That is what family is supposed to do) Katherine tells me quietly while letting me cry on her. This is the side of Katherine that she only ever allows me to see. There isn't a night that goes by that I don't thank whatever God put her in my life.


	7. Worthy of Love

**A/N: We are slowly making our way to present day! It will be most likely with in the next two chapters.  
****Jana, thank you so much for the reviews! You are the ****sweetest!**

* * *

**New Orleans 1903**

I was walking down the streets of the French quarter when someone of vampire speed dragged me in to an alley. Before I am able to really get pissed, a voice speaks "It seems I have found you again, my little bird. We really aught to stop meeting like this"

"And who's fault is that?" I say with a smile. "I've missed you, Nik" I reach my hands around his neck to hug him close to me. I can feel him burry his face in the crook of my neck.

"I have missed you too. What are you doing here in my fine city?"

"Oh, you're city? I know I have only been here for a couple of days but who died and made you king?"

"Only those who stood in my way" He says with a smirk

"Ever the conquer. So what does a girl have to do to get a royal tour?"

"Agree to dinner"

"Done. Keep it to local culture. I'm here to experience something new" I say with a childish smile.

"How is that going?" He asks as we start our tour.

"Good actually! This city is beautiful. It's full of colors and life. It's different from everywhere I've been, but there are many places I haven't been to yet"

* * *

"How is your sister?"

"Still alive, thank you"

"Is she your only family?"

"I have two brothers by blood that I haven't spoken to since I was human"

"You make it sound like they are still alive"

"Oh, they are. They're vampires like me, but they don't even know I'm still among the living"

"May I ask why?"

"Fear"

"Fear?"

"Yes. I haven't sought them out because I am scared of how they will react to me being a vampire"

"You do understand that they are the same?"

"But it's not the same. My brothers were men when they died. Society dictated that they were to deal with war, death, and the horrors of life. Yet I was a lady, just barely a coming of age when I died. I'm their little sister. My oldest brother, Damon, is the one I'm worried about most. My parents were in my life but it was Damon who would spend dark and stormy nights telling me stories so I wouldn't be scared. He was the one I would tell my secrets and fears to. I remember how intimidating he would behave with any boy who gave me a second look. Stefan was always the golden child. He was the good brother who always wanted the best for me. But Damon was the one who taught me to chance life, to strive to truly enjoy it. How do you tell someone who always viewed you as this innocent perfection that you enjoy ripping into throats and bathing in the blood of people who pissed you off? I don't have an answer for that so I haven't tainted that old memory of me"

"Even the sweetest princesses can grow up to be powerful feared queens. They loved their innocent little sister, yes. But I would also bet they would love the noble and cunning woman that stands before me"

"Is that really how you see me?" I ask astonished that I have earned his respect.

"Yes. You are extraordinary. You are a perfect balance of the good and the bad. It's intriguing"

"What do you mean?"

"You cunning. You know how to maneuver people to get what you want. Yet you are honorable about it. You stick to your moral code"

"I'm not a saint. I kill people"

"True. But you have a line in the sand that you wont ever cross. You don't hurt children and I've seen you go out of your way to feed on those who hurt others"

"Yes but I'm still not seeing your point" We have stopped walking at this point.

"My point is that you like the darkness but you kept the light that was yours as a human. You see the good in people. You love freely those who you deem worthy. Many who probably don't deserve to be reminded of what it's like to have someone who chooses to care about them despite what they have done"

"I love those I find worthy," I say pointing out what he told me.

"Do you find me worthy?" He asks quietly.

"Yes" I whisper as I kiss him.


	8. You Can Always Go Home Again

**A/N: I know there is a time jump but don't worry there will be flashbacks! The next chapter will be with in the TVD timeline! **

* * *

**Present**

"It's an awful disease that I've found infects many. Beautifully strong men, perfect in every sense, then they go and open their mouths and it's clear that their brain is not the cause of their overly sized head. Shame, really. Cute face and even prettier bank account but after I learned how much of a mindless bore he was I had to move on" Katherine tells me as we layout on her deck drinking Champagne watching the sun set. It's good to be back.

"That seems a little mild for you"

"Well, I might have relieved him of said bank account before moving on" She says with a smirk.

Before I could comment, Katherine's phone started going off. "That's weird. It's my informant from Mystic falls" She tells me as she answers.

_"Speak"_  
_"They got the tomb opened"_  
_"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want that open?"_  
_"You did and I tried. I even got the Emily Bennet witch involved and Damon still got opened!"_  
_"Ugh that love sick fool. I guess it's time for me to return to mystic falls"_  
_"Wait! I can fix this. Just give me time?"_  
_"Why? I've learned from experience that mass murder is only done correctly if I do it myself" She rolls her eyes and I laugh._  
_"Just tell me how you would do it and I'll do it for you. You said you would mentor me anyways"_  
_"Hmm. Alright. You have one last chance to get this right" the threat was clear in her voice._  
_"I won't let you down" Katherine went on to explain about the Gilbert device before hanging up. _

I down what's felt in my glass and stand up. "Where are you going?" She asked as I headed back inside.

"To see what all the fun is about" I call over my shoulder, "I didn't trust your newest minion to begin with and now she desperately doesn't want you in mystic falls. I want to know why" I say with a sly smile.

"You know your brothers are there, right?" And there goes my smile.

"Yes. But there is something going on. I can feel it in my bones that we should find out what. Besides. 150 years is enough. It's time for me to pay the piper. It either goes how I want and we all live happily ever after together or I'm back to where I am right now with the people who matter most to me. I have a life. They can choose to be in it or not. I'll be okay, either way. Are you coming with me or staying?"

"I'm staying. I don't want to intrude on the family reunion. I'm betting I won't be as welcomed as the last time"

"I never thanked you for that by the way"

"Thanked me for what?"

"Staying away from them. Staying away from them with me. I know you really did love both of my brothers and I know you want to see them again. So thanks for choosing me and being patient while I work up the confidence to meet them again" I say as we hug.

"It was my pleasure. Now get out of here before someone thinks that I am capable of caring" she says with a wink.

_With that said, Mystic Falls, here I come._


	9. Hello, Brothers

I had just made in to Mystic Falls when I get a phone call from Isabel. "The tomb vampires have Stefan. They are going to kill him... after they are done torturing him of course" I take a deep breath. This is it. Insecurities have to be put aside I can't let my brother die.

"Text me the address. I just got in to town," I tell her as I step on the gas. It's a good thing I'm already dressed in my ass kicking clothes. _No one messes with my brother_.

* * *

I make it to the farmhouse in less than ten minutes. I'm betting they are using the basement to double as a torture room. The good thing about these old houses is that usually the basement can be accessed through a door around back. But I still need an invite. I duck down and circle the house looking for the owner. She is in the kitchen. I knock on the window. As soon as she opens it I quickly get the invite inside.

_Sure enough the party is in the basement._

"Pearl says we aren't here for revenge. I say that is exactly why we are here. Starting with this…" Some man says from inside the basement. I can here Stefan grunting in pain.

"Hey you ain't suppose to be here little girl…" A voice says from behind me. I quickly turn around and put my fist through his chest cavity relieving him of his heart. _I don't bother with conversations when dealing with pawns._ The door starts to open so I duck behind the wall to watch as three men leave the room. I silently slip in before the door shuts to see Stefan suspended in the air by ropes and a man torturing him with a knife. I don't bother with word foreplay. Instead, I just walk up and remove his head from his shoulders.

"Hello brother, it seems after 150 years I'm still saving your ass. Boy, do you have a lot of birthdays to make up for." I say hoping that jokes will help me not think about how close I came to loosing him.

"Frannie? Is that you? How... What?"

"We can do the whole heartfelt reunion after I get you out of here" I say trying my best to quickly undo the ropes.

"How are you alive?" He asks once I get him down.

"Magic, a good teacher, and a little bit of luck" I say as I pull him into a hug and vamp us safely behind the forest walls. We are away from the farm house but I can hear we aren't alone yet. I crouch down ready for a fight but Stefan starts stumbling in the direction of the voices.

"Stefan. What the hell? I can only protect you so much in one day!" I whisper as I move to catch him. He is still very weak so I let him lean on me as we walk, foolishly, towards the voices.

"Friends" he tells me summoning up all of my questions in one answer. They are apparently the would-be rescuers if I had not interfered.

"Stefan how did you escape?" I hear Damon ask with something between suspicion and curiosity. I really have missed him.

"With a little help from family" I say moving out from behind Stefan to face Damon.

"Family?" Another guy I don't know asks.

"How in the holy hell are you alive?" Damon says once the shock wore off. He quickly grabs me into a bear hug.

"It doesn't matter. I'm here," I say returning the hug tightly.

"You're here," he whispers into my hair like he still can't believe it.

"Who is she?" A girl asks. Damon moves enough for me to come face to face with the solution to two of my oldest friends' problem.

"Elena this is Frannie. The youngest Salvatore sibling" Stefan finally explains to the girl.

"How did I not know you had a sister?" she's asks with a little more tone than either of my brothers deserve. They thought I was dead. It doesn't surprise me at all that they wouldn't talk about something so painful with someone they just recently got to know.

"Because I honestly thought she died," Stefan explains looking at me. My heart clenches with guilt at that simple statement being spoken out loud.

"But she will be clearing up the confusion once we get back to the house" Damon says giving me a look that says I shouldn't bother arguing.

"Of course. So I am in need of a stiff drink and Stefan clearly needs some blood. Where is the current Salvatore residence?" I ask with a smile.

* * *

Back at the boarding house Damon hands me a glass of bourbon while Stefan (Who is looking much better), Elena and man who I now know is Ric, gather around as I start my story.

"Where do you want me to start?" I ask my oldest brother, who seems to be running the show.

"At the beginning" Damon tells me. I roll my eyes.

"What happened to you the night we died?" Stefan says, helpfully supplies the starting point.

"I followed you two, when they carted Katherine off" I pause taking a deep breath, "I followed you and saw the whole thing. You tried to free Katherine and for that father shoot you, both of you. He killed you. I watched you die," I say sadly.

"Oh, Fran" Damon says pulling me into a hug as tears came to my eyes. I never did let myself deal with the emotions that came along with watching my family fall apart.

After another deep breath I spit out the rest of the story in hopes that we can move on and change the topic from my brothers' deaths, "I freaked out and ran. I made my way up to Boston and there I was turned into a vampire. Since then I have been traveling the world"

"Why haven't we run in to you?" Stefan asks.

"We almost did. I spent some time looking for you both. The closest I came to you, Stef, was Chicago at the start of the 20's. Damon just missed me in New York in the 1880's. I had friends watching over you both. They saw Stefan right as he was taken and called me with the details and that's how I was able to find you".

"What have you been doing with your life?" Damon asks in a lighter tone.

"Learning everything I can. I speak 5 different languages but I'm most fluent in history," I say laughing a little. "I've fallen in love over and over again with new cities and cultures. It's been amazing!" I say.

"Wow, that sounds amazing!" The not-Katherine says.

"Yes, it was. But I am glad to be home. That is if you two don't mind me being here" I look expectantly at both brothers.

"Like we would let you stay anywhere else. Pick a color and I'll show you a room," Damon says standing up.

"Umm, a pink or red," I tell him as he walks off. I hurry to catch up with him as he opens door. Inside is a beautiful gothic style bedroom full of pink and black furniture. "I love it" I say with a huge smile on my face.

"I knew you would" Damon says with a smirk.

"You remembered my favorite colors without needing me to tell you. Didn't you?" It looked too much like me for it to be a coincidence.

"Of course, but it's nice to be told I'm right" He says as I laugh.

"Oh I've missed you!" He smiles but it slowly fades.

"Fran, why didn't you come see me sooner. You knew where we were. You have watched us for over a century, why is this the first time I'm seeing you?"

"Honestly I was scared"

"Of what?" He looks truly puzzled as he asks.

"What you would think of me. I'm not that little girl you once knew. I've hurt people. I've killed people and worse of all, I enjoy doing it," I tell him and we just at each other for a bit.

"I would never hate you for that. How about after you are settled in we ditch the moral police and grab a bite?" It wasn't until he said that did I realize how truly big the fear of my brothers, specifically Damon, being disappointed in me was.

"Yes, I would like that," He kissed me on my forehead and leaves the room.

I pull out my cell phone,

_F: You won't believe whom I just met._  
_K: Who?_  
_F: A lesser version of you. I can't figure out whether I'm creeped out by the eeriness or pissed at history repeating itself._  
_K: What are you talking about?_  
_F: Oh, just the doppelgänger._  
_K: You're lying._  
_F: Nope, and both of my brothers are in love with her._  
_K: Isabel was just in town. She would have told me if there was a doppelgänger running around._  
_F: I wonder if there is a connection between the two. I'll play detective for a bit. You should start collecting the other pieces. If we do this right, you can be free._  
_K: I know. I'm already on it. Let me know what you find as soon as you do. I don't like being played._  
_F: Untrustworthy people. They have this weird curse of dropping like flies around me. Weird._  
_K: We are going to have way too much fun with this little town._

I put my phone back in my pocket. _Oh brothers, what have you gotten yourselves into?_


	10. Rules and Regulations

"So, who is good to eat around here?" I ask Damon as I come back in to the living room.

"No one in this town. We can go a town over or just head to the grill for drinks"

"Why?" What's the point of that?

"There is a vampire hating town council and practically everyone is on vervain" Damon tells me with a roll of his eyes

"So don't eat the locals and don't do anything that would need to be compelled away" I sum up what he's not saying. This trip is more about Damon than quenching my thirst, "Got it. So to the grill, I want to hear about what I missed"

* * *

"So?" I ask once we are seated down at the bar.

"So what?" Damon says looking at me.

"So what have you been up to when you haven't been in Mystic Falls?"

"I spent most of my time in big cities, Chicago, New Your, and San Francisco. You?" Damon tells me.

"I've spent time in Chicago, over seas in London before the turn of the century. Mostly though, I've been in New Orleans. You could practically say I'm the queen of the city"

"That doesn't surprise me, you always did want more than a normal life" He jokes.

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"Oh don't act offended. I remember when you were young. You used to steal my books from my room to read them. When I confronted you about it, you told me, and I quote, "if you were going to bother doing this adult nonsense, you were going to make sure you were doing it correctly". I don't think I ever laugh so hard. You are adorable when you want to know something"

"I remember that. Earlier that day I had a conversation with George Lockwood. I walked away thinking that he must have been the stupidest person I ever met. From that moment I promised myself I was not going to be a stupid adult. I think I have done quiet well for myself, thank you"

"Yes. I'm proud of you sis," Damon told me with a side hug.

* * *

_Early next morning_

"Why her?" I ask climbing out of my window to sit on the roof with Damon. We used to do this as kids to watch the sunrise.

"Why who?"

"Don't start with that. We both know I can see through your defenses so don't bother. Why her? Why are you in love with your brother's girl? Why are you both in love with a human Katherine look-a-like?"

"She's not Katherine" I caught the distain in his voice when he said her name but I let it slide without question because I wanted to talk about this first.

"You don't have to convince me of that. The timid little thing could never pull of the Petrova confidence"

"Her mom had the passion, same one as Katherine. It's there. She just hasn't found it yet. But it's there"

"Who is her mom? More importantly why should I care?"

"I don't know. But her mom is Isobel, Alaric's wife" What?!

"Noted. But you, sir, are avoiding my question"

"I don't know how to answer it. She's selfless and nice. She actually gives a damn about the people around her"

"That sounds more like a problem with the people around you then it does a compliment about her"

"Why are you so against her? You just met her"

"It doesn't matter if I just met here. Have you forgotten that I watched this play out 150 years ago? A new girl who is both compassionate and stubborn gives you the time of day. You and Stefan are both hooked. Katherine got in the middle of our family. Are you telling me this girl wont do the same? That alone is reason enough not to like her"

"Give her a chance, for me?"

"Make me a deal. I'll get to know her. You let me go see a friend this weekend without doing the whole 'older brother protectiveness' gig"

"Deal. Now since we have that out of the way. I'm going to need your help with Stefan"

"What's wrong with Stefan?"

"When you were keeping tabs on us, did you happen to pay close attention when Stef went off the rails?"

"Oh, you're talking about the ripper"

"Yes. That is what I am trying to avoid. I just got the council off our backs. Now is a very bad time for ripper Stefan to come out and play"

"I'll help keep an eye on him"


	11. Drawing Lines in the Sand

"So you haven't seen either of your brothers in 150 years?" Elena asks as we look through clothes ranks.

"Nope," I can't help but roll my eyes at the new modern look people try to pull of these days. Personally, I've stuck with the hippie-boho look since the 70's. It was a time to be free and for women to be powerful. What's not to love?

"Why not?"

"I was under the impression that we were playing hide-and-seek. I thought it was a 150-year winning streak. Oops" Honestly, what kind of question is that?

"You don't have to be rude. I'm just trying to get to know you"

"Why?"

"Because I love Stefan therefore I care about the people he cares about"

"No, why shouldn't I be rude?"

"You can at least be nice, for them"

"Really? Okay, I'll play. What do you want to know?" I say pulling out a dress to hold up to me. She gives me a nod. I can't explain why, but that one action made me hate her even more. I don't need her validation. I already played this game once with Katherine. I already did my fighting to still be included in my brothers' worlds. Now I am a vampire. I have a life of my own with people who know what they have when they have me. I will not fight for her approval. I am over the days of caring whether my brother's dates like me or not. She is this simple human girl. I've been places. I've destroyed cities and toppled kingdoms. I've turned brick to gold and come out of the fire as a Queen. This little girl will not get the best of me.

"So, um, what do you like to do?"

"Hunt people, you?" I dead pan.

"What do you mean hunt people?" She asked appalled.

"Exactly what I said. I like to follow people, who seem like tasty dinner, in to isolated locations and feed from them"

"Oh my gosh. That's awful"

"No, that's vampirism. You do know you are dating one, right?" I ask looking at her.

"But Stefan isn't like that. He's one of the good ones" I watch in amusement as she struggles with the current conversation topic.

"Yes, he's always been the moral one. I, on the other hand, enjoy what I do. So whatever"

"But you shouldn't kill people, it's wrong"

"I usually don't kill my meals if that's what you are talking about"

"But you kill people"

"If I think they deserve it"

"Let's change the subject. Um, what about you? Have you ever loved anyone?"

"Yes and its not so past tense." She was way too surprised by that answer.

"Really? What is he like?"

"Why did that surprise you?"

"Because that means there is humanity in you. If you love someone that means you care. You just finished telling me that you kill people. I wasn't expecting you to have humanity"

"I do care. I've never turned it of. I just refuse to get close to someone who will grow old and die"

"So he is a vampire?" Not 'a', he is 'the' vampire.

"Yes"

"Why him?"

"This is me doing the whole trying to get along with you thing... I've never been that girl who chases boys. I've always chased adventure and knowledge. Sadly, I was raised in a time when men didn't value their women. We were treated as vases. It was as if we were so fragilely beautiful that the only thing to do with us was to stick us on a shelf somewhere, to be seen not heard. I didn't want a life where my value was based on my husband's accomplishments. I fought tooth and nail with my father to be educated. I'm sure he views it as his biggest mistake since it was from the books that I learned there was a world out there. Ever since learning that, I've wanted to see it. I wanted to conquer it in ways that no one had ever done before me. I learned quickly that I never wanted a world were I was stuck being a wife and a mother.

When I met Nik it was like meeting my equal. Even from the very first conversation we ever had, he got that I wasn't just a pretty face waiting for a prince to come. I fell for him instantly. There was this beauty about him, kind of like a caged lion. You can tell there is power inching to be released. He has this smile that could convince nuns to sin.

He wasn't off put by a girl who stood her ground. In fact he taught me how to sword fight. He showed me cultures that I've never even heard of before him. He taught me tricks on how to learn a language quickly. He respected me as his equal and he never needed me to pretend to be less than I am. You might think that is a small thing but I've been around for a while. Men fear women who know their worth. Finding Nik was like finding out your favorite person matched your conceived notion of them in your mind. He understood me in ways that I had never been understood before. He got that I liked to wander. He would say that I was born to be as free as a bird. He loved me enough to trust me that I would always come home to him. I always have"

"That's beautiful"

"Thanks. Here I think I found your dress for the pageant" I held up a blue simple yet elegant blue one.

"How did you know about that?"

"I was the first Miss Mystic back in 1863. It was sort of like a debutante ball with a competition. Birtha Fell started it in hopes that her daughter would win. Poor thing never saw me coming. I had this gorgeous black and red ball gown. All the girls from wealthy families back then were taught proper manners but I was one of the few who could actually hold a conversation with anyone, thanks to my education. I won because I didn't stand there looking like bobble head agreeing to what was said around me. I argued different points, much to my father's disgrace. In the end I won so he wasn't really mad"

"I would have thought you didn't want to participate on principle or something"

"Nonsense. I was a woman before my time. I was competitive in all things but I still liked my hair to be perfect and my shoes to be pretty. Strong women can be beautiful. It's not an either or thing, darling"

"Wow. I cant imagine the things you have seen"

"It was amazing but I'm glad to be home"

"About that. You do know you can't feed on anyone here. Right?"

"Excuse me?" and here I thought we were getting along…

"It's wrong. You shouldn't do it"

"Are you serious? I was honestly trying. I was telling you things about myself and you stopped all of that to tell me what to do? Do you really think I'm going to let some 17 year old girl police my actions? I have almost 150 years on you little girl. You don't have a say in what I do" I walked over to her so we were standing nose to nose.

"I'm just says this is my home, my friends. You can't hurt them"

"I can hurt who I want"

"I'll tell Stefan" Really?

"And he will do what?"

"Make you stop. He did it to Damon and he can do it to you too. So don't hurt my friends"

"I wasn't planning on it. Damon had already gotten me to agree to eat outside of the town, but I don't back down to threats and I don't respond well to demands. We were getting along. I was being nice but now that is over. I don't like you. Watch your step before you turn me in to an enemy" I leave the store before she can reply.

I jump in my car and head out of Mystic Falls for the weekend. Damon asked me to try, I try. What do I get in return? A selfish, controlling, manipulative human bitch who thinks she can order me around. I'm in major need of R&amp;R and I just happen to have a delicious about-to-be hybrid who would know just how to give that to me.


	12. Why I Love You

"Sweetie, I'm home!" I open the door to his flat in Nashville. A thousand years does a bank account good apparently. The place is a nice open airy feel with a lot of windows. Klaus doesn't reply, instead he vamps up behind me and wraps his strong arms around me. I can't help but sigh. I love him, him and his earthy woodsy spice smell.

"Not that I'm complaining, love, but you usually spend more than a weekend with your beloved doppelgänger" He starts kissing my neck.

"I'm in a very bad mood and you know my very bad mood is just a step down from my psychotic serial killer mood and I can't have that so I came here in hopes that you can do what you do best and make me completely forget about the world" He pulls me in to him so I'm flesh against him as he continues to nibble on my neck.

"Well, who am I to deny my queen?" He throws me over his shoulder and heads towards his room. There we spent most of the night in pure ecstasy. True to his word he reduced me to nothing but moans and his name.

* * *

"I was with Katherine. We were catching up but drama ensued. So I offered my stealthy services and ended up in Mystic Falls. Conveniently in perfect time to save Stef" I tell him as I step in to the tub after him. He's in one of his sweet moods, the bath is filled with warm milk and rose petal and we are surrounded by candles in the dark.

"What happened?" He asks quietly as he guides me on to his lap and wraps his strong arms around me.

"The tomb vampires decided to blame him for their fate. Honestly, they are alive, what are they complaining about? The alternative was to be burned in the church" He just chuckles as I get myself worked up on the wholes situation again. "You laugh but that's not even the part that pissed me off"

"What was the part that pissed you off?" He asks as he goes to message my shoulders.

"Do you feel like being in a good mood?"

"Are you saying that what pissed you off will put me in a good mood?"

"Yes and no"

"Tell me" He says with a light chuckle.

"I found her" He freezes.

"Who?"

"You know whom. The human doppelganger"

"How did that piss you off?"

"I met her. She is rude, controlling and thinks way too highly of herself. She even had the nerve to tell me how to behave"

"No!" He sarcastically takes a quick breath in to sound appalled. I elbow him to the rib.

"I'm serious. On top of it all she is dating Stefan and I'm 99% sure Damon is in love with her too"

"Does Katarina know about this?"

"Yes. She's down south finding a werewolf. When she gets into town she will make a vampire and she find the moonstone"

"That's good but I was asking about her knowing the boys are in love with another girl"

"I told her but I don't know if she really knows. Why do you ask?"

"Because there were times when if I had still be chasing her I would have had her all because of those boys. She is territorial down to the bone. I doubt she would be out of town and playing nice if she new someone new had made a move on her boys" That got a big laugh from me.

"Pot meet kettle, mister! Who are you calling territorial?" I ask with a cheeky smile.

"Oh I am extremely territorial, and you my beautiful raven bird, are mine" He says pulling me close.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, even if I have to spend the rest of eternity proving it, you are mine. You are my queen. You are my mate. You are the only person I would ever trust enough with my secrets"

"Do you remember the first time you called me _your_ queen?"

"Yes, it was back in the 1915's New Orleans. You had stayed with me for about 10 years already"

"Then a group of vampires tried to take the city"

"I wanted you to run back to Katherine while I dealt with it. I was afraid you would be caught in the crossfire"

"And I told you to get over yourself, I wasn't leaving you"

"I think that was the first time I saw this thing between us lasting"

"I never ran before and I wasn't about to start because some guy wanted me to keep my shoes clean"

"You picked up one of my swords and told me to point out who's to die. I don't think I had ever been so turned on before. You had this graceful beauty when you fought," He kisses my shoulder.

"Then when it was over you kissed me hard and told me you would make me your killer queen"

"It was then I made a vow to myself that I would teach you how to survive on your own two feet"

"Then we retook New Orleans"

"And I made you a queen"


	13. Fighting the Ripper

"Thanks again for helping me" The bubbly blonde said.

"Oh, my pleasure, love. I know it's hard to get the back just perfect and on a day like this, everything should be perfect!"

"Finally, someone understands!" She says and I chuckle.

"Hey. I need you for a moment" Damon says sticking his head into the room then leaving again. Clearly expecting me to follow. I check to make sure I didn't miss any strands of her hair and then follow my brother.

"This better be important"

"In all of your stalking of us, did you notice what happens to Stefan when he drinks human blood?"

"Yes. He goes a little head-rippy. What is your point?"

"My point is the fridge full of blood bags in the basement that doesn't belong to me"

"Ohh… that's bad. That is very bad"

"Yes and with the council on vampire alert again I really need him to not drawl attention to us"

"I'll keep an eye on him. You handle the council"

"Miss Elena Gilbert" I watch as she unconfidently walks down the stairs to… Damon. Why is Damon there? Where is Stefan? I watch as the couple dances. I can see her worming her way in to Damon's good graces. She would turn to him as soon as Stefan is out of sight. There is a word for that, but I am too much of a lady to go there. That was a funny lie, what a whore. As the party migrates outside, I leave to check the forest for Stefan.

* * *

A loud scream cuts my one-man search party short. I vamp over towards the sound in time to see my brother fangs deep in a woman's neck. I throw him off. Then vamp over catching him by the throat against the tree. My silly little brother lets his vampire face out and growls, like that is going to intimidate me. I vamp my face out and growl louder. He struggles. I pull him off only to slam him back against the tree. Come on, I spend my free time blood sharing with a thousand year old original. I am stronger than an average vampire.

"Stefan!" Elena calls from behind me.

"What is going on here?" Damon asks. Before I have a chance to answer, shoot pain runs through my skull. I drop Stefan and stumble back. The pain lets up and I stand to look at who has shown up to fix the problem. Damon is a vampire. Elena is Stefan's human girlfriend. That leaves the new comer to be the witch. Judging by the power and her age, I would bet she is a Bennet witch. Lovely.

"I just stumbled upon Steffy here having a late night snack. Thought I'd remind him he doesn't want to kill anyone. Well that was before the witch went all voodoo on us" I say with a smile.

"Stefan, just breathe through it" Damon tells him. Stefan just growls and flashes away.

"Smooth. Rock, paper, scissors for who has to clean up?" I ask Damon.

He just rolls his eyes and tells me to follow Stefan.

Luckily Stefan just heads home. I lie in my bed and listen to the commotion up stairs.

F: You're best friend is out to play.  
N: Oh how I have missed him.  
F: It's not as fun this time around. The whole morals thing is getting in the way.  
N: Once I get in to town I might have to help let the ripper out again.

I don't text back due to being distracted by a body hitting the floor. I walk out of my room to see Damon carrying a vervained Stefan down to the basement.

"Do you two honestly think this will work?" Poor Stefan, fighting his true nature so determinedly, too bad it won't last long.

"It has to" Elena tells me.

"Have either of you actually seen what it takes for him to get back to normal?" I ask doubting they really know what they are in for.

"It doesn't matter. He has all of us. We can help him through this. He will get through this" Gotta give the girl points for optimism. I shoot Damon a look and he just shrugs his shoulders and sits down. I follow suit. I guess we are pulling the ripper back from the dark.


	14. For the Love of Family

**A/N: Warning, this chapter touches a bit on suicide.  
I don't take suicide lightly, I think it's a serious issue that needs to be talked about.  
On that note, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here and I can whole heartedly promise  
that life is never as dark as it seems. Things do get better. **

**About the show; I don't, not even for a second, truly believe that Damon wouldn't have gone after Stefan.  
So in this story, I fixed it. **

* * *

"It's so hard to see him locked up like this," Elena says mostly to herself.

"You're the one who locked him up," Damon helpfully points out.

"Yeah, but you helped" Elena counters.

"Oh, good. Now we are all caught up on how Steffy came to be in the cell" I say with an eye roll.

"Well, I couldn't have him running around chewing on people while the town is out looking for vampires, now could I?" Damon smirks.

"It had nothing to do with you actually caring about him?" Elena asks with a knowing look.

"Your thing not mine" Damon tells her as he leaves.

"Or we could?" I say bring the conversation back to Damon's question. "Personally, I think we should just let him chew on the town council, two birds, one stone and all of that" I say looking at Damon who gives me a very brotherly look of disagreement before leaving my sight. Elena looks at me appalled then walks off, leaving me alone to look through the door's bars at Stefan. It hurts to see him in such pain. He went through a phase, back in the 20's, where he was just happy. For a couple years he let himself be a vampire with out trying to fit into the confines of a human. With Nik and I, he enjoyed life as an undead vampire and the feeding that went along with it. I don't know what happened since then to bring out this self-loathing creature that wants nothing more than to be a human. I miss my brother.

* * *

I get back to the house that evening after a day of exploring Mystic Falls only to walk in on Elena and Damon clearly having a moment. Whatever, since those two have better things to do, I take it upon myself to go and check on Steffy… only he's not there.

"What did you do?" I yell running back in to the living room.

"What are you talking about?" Damon asks stepping slightly between Elena and I.

"The door was open and his ring was on the bed. What. Did. You. DO?" I ask, not taking my eyes off of Elena. How could she be so stupid?

"Hey, Fran, look at me. Getting pissed at her isn't going to help find him" Damon says softly.

"I just got you two back, D. I can't loose him. Not now. Not yet" He wraps his arms around me, holding me close.

"You aren't loosing anyone. I know where he is" He tells me. I'm barely able to nod due to how tight he has his arms around me.

"Then let's go get him" Elena says as she starts walking towards the door.

"Elena. Stay here. This is going to be a family thing" Damon tells her as he leads me to the door with his arm still around my shoulders.

"But-"

"Stay here" He calls out as he shuts the door behind us. "To the quarry. I'll race you?" He says with a smirk. I take off with him hot on my heels.

* * *

"Hello, brother" Damon says as we arrive finding Stefan at the quarry.

"I should have died that night, just like I had chosen. I should have let Damon die too," Stefan tells us.

"And leave me without my brothers? Are you really that cruel?" I ask.

"I'm sorry Fran-"

"Don't. After all this time I finally work up the courage to find you, to talk to you, to share my life with you and you are going to what? Let it all burn to hell?" I ask barely holding the tears back.

"You don't get it. Every single person that's been hurt, every single life that's been lost, is because of me" Stefan says letting his own tears fall.

"You brood too much. Everything in the world is not your fault. My actions and what I do, it's not your fault. I own them. They belong to me. You aren't allowed to feel my guilt" Damon tells him, getting mad at the ridiculousness of this.

"Do you feel guilt?" Stefan asks.

"If I wanted to, it's there," Damon slowly walks towards Stefan as he talks. "But more importantly, a hundred and fifty years ago, you made the choice for me. You didn't want to live an eternity without me. Why are you making me face that now? Stop this. Stop acting like you face the world alone. I may have promised you an eternity of misery but I was there, Stefan. You weren't alone, and you aren't now. You don't like yourself on human blood? Fine. I promise to never hold that over your head ever again. You want help to fight the cravings? Fine. Fran and I are here. We are in this for you Stefan. Now tell me you are in this too" At the end of his speech, now standing close to Stefan, Damon offers Stefan his hand.

After a moment of contemplation Stefan takes Damon's hand and pulls him into a hug. Both of my brother's stick an arm for me to join in the group hug. "Promise me you wont ever choose to leave us like that?" I ask, barely above a whisper.

"I promise" Stefan says with a kiss to the top of my head.

_For the moment, my family is whole. I just hope they love me enough for us to survive the upcoming storm of secrets._


	15. Where Loyalties Lie

"You're back again. Someone in Mystic Falls should be feeling very offended right now" Klaus says as I walk in the front door.

"It was getting too depressing. Katherine is out of the state and she left her little helpers running the show, you know how much I despise letting people do my dirty work" I hop up on his desk while he's working something on the computer.

"I know. It's a reason why I fancy you. You're a perfectionist. If you want it done right-" He says with a smile.

"I have to do it myself" I finish his sentence returning the smile.

"So, lets hear it" He says leaning back in his chair.

"Hear what?"

"What's got you in this avoidance mood"

"I'm not in avoidance mood" I say trying hard not to cross my arms like a child.

"Want to bet?" He asks with a cheeky grin.

"No"

"So spill"

"Fine. There is this woman, Isobel. Who happens to be the mother of the doppelganger, side note- was born in Mystic Falls, and there is just something about her I don't trust. I know she's Katherine's minion, and Katherine is very good at having her minions wrapped around her finger. But the woman's daughter is involved. I don't think any level of manipulation or compulsion would honestly get a woman to betray her child"

"So you think she is going to double cross you" Klaus stated.

"Not think. I know she will. It's just a matter of when"

"Would you like me to get involved?"

"You won't need to. They will seek you out. Someone in this group will put the pieces together and try to find you for some lame excuse of a plea bargain for the doppelganger's life"

"What if it's one of your brothers? This is Stefan's girl who has to die for the sacrifice. Can you handle going along with that?"

"I don't like the situation any more than you do. He was family to us once"

"He's still your blood"

"Him and Damon were my family for 16 years, 150 years ago. Katherine has been my sister for 9 times that, and I have been in love with you for just as long as she's been my family. I will always protect my brothers but when push comes to shove, you and Katherine will win out. Plus I'm not about to go back on my loyalties for the likes of that sorry excuse of a Petrova"

"Is that jealousy I hear?"

"No. It's my annoyance at the whole situations. History is repeating, a girl is tearing my brothers apart"

"But you forgave Katherine"

"Because she was at least interesting, that and she very literally saved my life"

"And I find myself feeling indebted to her for it. But you still haven't told me what brought you all the way to my door step in attempts of avoidance, love"

"Yes I have. Isobel is running the show. Her actions are going to piss my brothers off and I don't want any part of it" I slide off the desk onto his lab. "So I thought I'd come show you how much I miss you, and how happy I am for this stupid curse to finally be over" I start nibbling on his neck and unbuttoning his shirt.

* * *

_Meanwhile, back in Mystic Falls..._

"I assume that you still don't have the invention"

"I'll get it. I said I would"

"Then do it already. But don't set it off until all three Salvatore's are around"

"Three? I thought there were only the two brothers"

"Well you are wrong John. I guess the journals don't have all the answers. There is a third, a sister. If we don't get her out of the way she will be the death of Elena. So make sure that when that device goes off, it kills her"


	16. The Gilbert Device

"So, who is this friend you keep sneaking off to see?" Damon asks flopping down on the couch next to me.

"Depends. Promise you wont freak out?" I offer him some popcorn, which he takes a handful of.

"So it's a guy"

"Yes" I can't help the giant smile on my face.

"So he's your guy"

"Don't go overprotective-"

"Is he good to you?"

"He's very good to me" To me only, but I digress.

"What's he like? Last I knew, you only fell in love with a fictional characters"

"Oh shut up" I smack him with my pillow. "He's like something out of a fairytale. He takes me all over the world and treats me like a queen"

"I want to meet him. I want to make sure he's good enough for you"

"You will meet him eventually. So what did I miss while I was gone?"

"While you were off gallivanting with Fabio?" I hit him with the pillow again.

"For your information, his name is Nik and he's English, not Italian"

"Well, what you missed while you were off with the English Nicolas was just some stupid drama. Isobel, Elena's mom, came into town and bullied her way into getting the Gilbert device. She is probably gave it to John Gilbert so he can kill all the vampires in town. But that's not going to work because Witchy unspelled it" Damon tells me. That's probably going to bite us in the arse later.

"So all the town vampires are still around?"

"Yepp. But right now we are headed to the Gilberts"

"Hm. Have fun" I tell him as I focus back on my movie.

"Nope. You are coming too. I want you to help her get ready since you know a thing or two about dresses from the 1860's"

"Uh. I'm not going anywhere near her. I tried the whole friend thing and she turned it around and tried to manipulate me with it"

"And I got on to her about that and she's sorry. Will you try again? For me?"

"I don't believe you said anything to her about the way she treats me at all. But worry not brother. I will help because it would be too much of an embarrassment to either you or Stefan if the girl can't properly put on a dress. What would the tomb vampires think?" I ask with a cheeky smile. "That, and you asked so nicely. But you do need to talk to her. I'm not use to tollerating disrespect. Eventually she will cross the line and I wont think before I pull her pretty little head off of her shoulders" He gives me a look and I just shrug and turn my attention to the movie. We've been down this road. As much as he loves me, Damon will always pick the woman rather then the sister. But having an invitation to the Gilbert house might come in handy.

* * *

_Meanwhile, across town in the basement of one of the buildings…_

"Revenge is ours! They are the blood of those who locked us away for 150 years. We will kill them, every last one of the founding family members" A man calls out, his small group of people cheer.

* * *

_At the Sheriff's office:_

"Liz, we need to do this. We have no choice! This is the reason for the secret council. Our Founding Fathers create it for just this purpose!" John tells her.

"I'm the Sheriff! It's my call, and I say no!"

"Let me talk to her alone" The mayor nods to John's request and leaves him with Liz in the room alone.

"John, you're not thinking clearly. I'm not going to change my mind about this" Liz tells him as she turns around to walk back to her desk.

John takes this golden opportunity and knocks the sheriff out. He handcuffs her to the desk and takes her gun with him as he leaves.

* * *

_At the Gilbert house:_

Elena answers the door with a smile "Damon, you came! And you" She gives me a glare to which I smile back to.

"Invite her in" Damon tells her.

"Why?"

"She's said she wanted to help you get ready for the parade"

"Oh, um, thanks. Come in" Talk about gullible. She steps away from the door to let us in.

She and I head up stairs as Damon and some kid hangout in the living room.

"Ouch, this hurts!" Elena informs me, as if I wasn't aware of what pain went into getting a corset on.

"I know, we are almost done. Suck it in and suck it up" I tell her.

Once I get her underthings set, I help her pull on the dress. Since her hair and make up was already done when I got here, I guess we are finished.

Our bonding time was broken up with a knock on the door.

"Are you ready?" The man asks.

"Yes, John. I'm ready. I'm also riding with Stefan and his siblings" So this must be John Gilbert.

"His siblings?" John asks.

"You need to head over there with Jeremy and I'll meet you at the parade" She tells him, a clear dismissal but he isn't taking it as such. I can't help but find the whole situation amusing.

"Where is that brother of yours?" John asks, the whole time looking between Elena and me like his is waiting for me to vamp out and eat her. Finally someone shows the appropriate amount of fear for me getting bored.

"He's down stairs with Damon"

* * *

_After the Parade there is an ending celebration in town square:_

"Enjoy the show!" Mayor Lockwood says, ending his speech.

"It's time" The leader of the tomb vampires announce.

Damon walks up on my right and Ric walks up on my left, "We need your help" Damon tells me.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"The tomb vampires are here to kill all of the founding family members" Ric says.

"Elena"

"Yes. So we need your help to kill them all" Damon asks in a non asking way.

"Sure. I'm in" What are sisters for?

They walk off to do their thing. I head towards the outskirts of town center. I stay towards the shadows and take down any tomb vampires that stray to far from the group. I managed to get three before all consuming pain erupts through my head. I lean against the side of the building and watch as police and city officials take down anyone who is showing the slightest amount of pain. I use every ounce of control I possess to not let the pain show.

"What's happening?" I know that voice. I make my way as quickly as I can towards her and my brother.

"My head!" Stefan yells.

I grab him by the elbow and yank him up straight, "Stand up. Whatever you do, don't look like you are in pain. It's a sign that you are a vampire and they will capture you. Where is Damon?"

"I just saw him get taken to the Gilbert Office. John has him. What's going on?" Ric says running up to us.

"All the vampires are hitting the floor. Intense pain is running through our skulls. I think it's the gilbert device going off" I tell him.

"That's impossible, Bonnie unspelled it" Elena says confidently.

"Sounds like you shouldn't trust your friends as much as you do" I leave on that parting note in search of the girl who created this whole mess.

"Hello, Witchy" I say coming up behind her. She jumps. Cute.

"What do you want?" She says in fake confidence.

"Oh, just your assistance on fixing what you messed up" I didn't give her a chance to reply before vamping us to the back door of the Gilbert Office. Stefan and Elena run over to us.

"You will save Damon" I tell the witch.

"No. He deserves what is coming to him"

"If he dies, you will die by the same means. I hear it's incredibly painful to burn alive" I tell her.

"You wont hurt her" Elena yells.

"If she saves my brother, I won't have to" I tell them both.

"Bonnie" Elena looks like she's about to cry.

"Fine. But I'm doing this because of Elena. Not for you"

"I don't bloody care why you do it as long as you do it now"

She turns towards the door and starts chanting, "Ex spiritum intacullum, in terrum incendium, fes matos salvis adisdum!" Stefan and I listen closely as the flames die down.

Stefan steps up and rips the doors open. I push him aside and vamp down the stairs.

I find Damon stuck under a burning log. I quickly grab him and vamp back up the stairs just as the fire reaches the gas cans. The whole place goes up in flames but we are all safe. With out saying anything I get up and leave to find fresh blood. Tonight was far too emotionally taxing for my tastes.

* * *

After receiving a text, I get to the Gilbert house but stay in the shadows to let the doppelganger and my brother talk in peace.

"No, it's reserved for my brother, and you…and Bonnie... who, even though she has every reason to hate me, still helped Stefan save me"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Because she did it for you. Which means that somewhere along the way, you decided that I was worth saving. And I wanted to thank you for that".

"You're welcome"

He kisses her on the cheek. They make eyes and stare at each other longingly before he gives her an honest kiss on the lips. It was kind of sweet, until that Jenna chick opens the door and breaks the moment.

"Hi"

"It's late, you should probably come inside" Jenna tells her. She gives one last look before heading inside. Damon starts to walk away.

"You're going to regret that" I tell him, startling him.

"You saw?" He asks. I can tell he doesn't really want the answer.

"It's between you and I. Before you doing anything else will you at least take a moment and make sure you want to go down this road? It's going to be painful and you might loose him"

"She's worth it" He tells me and walks off.

I look at the house, take a deep breath and head inside.

"Do you really have to mess with them like that?" I whisper as I meet Katherine inside.

"I didn't do that to mess with them. I miss him, him and Stefan both. This is as close as I can get to them while they're wrapped around that little bitch's finger"

"Katherine, are you jealous of your doppelganger?" She just gives me a look.

"I'm not jealous. I'm pissed. I left them for their safety. I stayed away from them for you. Now they are both worshiping at her alter? It's pathetic"

"Then let's show her who the real queens are. My brothers/your boys. It's about time this town learns not to fuck with what's ours" I say with an evil smile that she mirrors.

Katherine heads to the kitchen as I check for anyone else in the house. No one but Jeremy and he's in his room passed out. I turn to head back to Katherine when I notice his heartbeat decreasing. Did Jeremy kill himself? It's not my problem but the rawness of coming too close to loosing my own brothers is still with me. That's my excuse and reasoning for opening up my own vein and healing him. He starts to come around but I knock him out again. With that done I head back to Katherine.

I reach the kitchen and catch her eye. She winks at me as she picks up a knife.

"Can I help?" John asks, still not noticing me standing here. I see Katherine eye his ring. I smile in delight, knowing what she's up to.

"Sure" She tells him before using the knife in her hand to cut off his fingers on the hand with the Gilbert ring. She vamps out with a smile.

"Katherine?"

"Hello, John, this is my friend Frannie"

I let my vampire side show and speed towards him and push him against the sink. "You went after the Salvatore brothers. That's a big no-no" I take my own knife and carve my initials on the tender side of his upper arm. "This is me showing mercy" Katherine and I both lean in to whisper in each of his ears.

"You don't cross us" She tells him.

"Or we'll gut you like a hog" I whisper.

"And your pretty little daughter too" She says.

"The only reason we haven't"

"Is because for some reason" Katherine starts

"My brother's fancy her" I finish.

"You're the third Salvatore" He spits out clearly surprised.

"Goodbye John" Katherine and I say together before we both stab him with our knives.


	17. One More to the Ranks

"Hey! I'm here!" I say coming up behind Damon. He turns around and wraps me up in a hug.

"I need a favor" Damon whispers in my ear.

"Name it"

"The mayor was affected by the device. So was his kid. I know they aren't vampires…"

"But we don't know what they are. Yeah, I'll look into it. You okay?" I ask him, referring to the other night.

"Yeah" He lets go of the hug to focus on the conversation behind us. "She doesn't know how. Do you?"

I turn to see Knock-off Petrova and her bitchy-witchy sidekick.

"No. I don't" The witch answers Damon as I try hard to not let my confusion show.

"No. You don't because it took Emily _years _to learn a spell like that"

"But I can take down a vampire. That spell was easy to learn" She says with a cold stare at Damon.

I narrow my eyes at her, "I dare you to try". Damon grabs my arm and pulls me behind him.

"I can give Caroline some blood" Damon offers, interrupting Bonnie and I's glare off.

"No. No way, Damon" Elena tells him.

"Just enough to heal her, she will be better, Elena" Damon say. Elena is shaking her head so aggressively at the idea that I'm sure she's bound to knock something loose.

"She will be safe in the hospital. It'll be out of her system in a day. Otherwise she might not survive witchy's little attempt at 'doing the right thing'" The award for the best guilt trip goes to…

"Do it" The witch barks then turns to Elena, "This is Caroline. We can't let her die"

"If I do this, you and me," He motions between him and the witch, "Call a truce?"

"No. But you'll do it anyway, for Elena" The witch quirks back be walking off.

"So, long night huh?" I ask Elena, cutting off whatever else Damon was going to say.

"Yeah. One of the tomb vampires got into the house and almost killed John" Elena tells me. She must be really bothered by it for not having caught my sarcasm.

"What? When? After I left?" Damon asks. Oh, this is going to be entertaining. If only I could take bets on how quickly he'll put it together.

"You were there?" Elena ask honestly puzzled.

"Come on, Elena. We all know he was there" I say with an eye roll to fuel the fire.

"Earlier on the porch…" Damon says to Elena, who still has the confused doe eye look going, "We talked, feelings came out…" No change to Elena's facial expression, "We kissed" BAM. Who knew her eyebrows could jump so high?

"Whatever, I don't have time for this Damon" She tells him.

"If you want to forget about this, fine. But I can't" The amount of feeling he put into that statement almost ruined my fun… Almost.

"Elena I came as soon as I got your message. How is John?" Jenna asks, breaking up the tension.

"Where have you been?" Elena ask in a rather rude tone.

"At the fire department. I went to deferred a report… I told you that earlier" Jenna tells Elena while Damon and I are awkwardly standing around pretending to not be listening. I can see the wheels turning in Damon's head. Can I get a count down? 5…

"No, you didn't" Elena says with all the sass of a 17 year old… 4.

"Yes. I did, Elena" 3…

"No. Jenna. You didn't. I haven't seen you all night" 2…

"Yes, I did! You were there when I left the house" …1

Damon lets out what can only be considered a pained groan drawing all of our attention. "You've got to be kidding me"

* * *

_The next morning at the Bed and Breakfast Katherine is stay at…_

"At least I fooled one of them" Katherine says. I give her a look and she just shrugs.

"So what's next?" I ask.

"The moonstone"

* * *

_Meanwhile, across town…_

"So the black sheep returns" The youngest Lockwood calls out to the newly arrived guest

"Tyler? Is that you?"

"Yeah"

"What happened to you? In my mind you were twelve years old"

"Then that's two years older than the last time you saw me, Uncle Mason"

* * *

_All the while at the hospital…_

"Please, tell us why she's here. What dose she want?" The girl, nearly in tears, asks the man laying in the hospital bed.

"She'll try again. We can't help you if you don't confide in us" Her boyfriend attempts to reason with him.

"In you?" The patient scoffs.

"In your daughter then"

"My daughter should have put a stake to you heart by now" He turns to the girl, "I never spoke to her directly. She never trusted me" He turns back to the vampire. "So either kill me or get out, because I can't stand the sight of you with my daughter"

"You see the problem with such hatred? It's gonna get you killed one day" Elena imparts before leaving the room.

"You may be okay with dying" Stefan says with a hand wrapped around John's throat, "But I have a better plan for you" He bites into his wrist, then shoves it in John's mouth.

"You know, with my blood in your system, all I have to do is kill you. Now take my advice… Leave town. Elena doesn't want you here. You've got about 24 hours before the blood leaves your system. That's enough time to disappear, or I swear to god, I will turn you into a vampire and watch you hate yourself more than you already do"

John glares at the retreating vampire before rolling up the sleeve of the hospital gown and watching the handy work and evidence of the traitor fade away.

* * *

_Later that day, at the Lockwood Mansion…_

"Elena, thanks for coming" Tyler calls over to her.

"It's what friends are for" She says with a sweet smile, "Oh, this is Frannie. She's new to town" I give him a shy wave.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Tyler Lookwood. Please, come in, both of you"

We both smile as we walk pass him into the house.

"You know the plan?" Katherine asks.

"You're the pretty little distraction while I'm Catwoman. Wish me luck" I give her a quick parting kiss on the cheek before slipping away.

* * *

_Later that night at the hospital…_

"You know they are probably sitting around sharpening stakes with your name on them, right?" I ask as I let my blood wrist drip into Caroline's mouth. She's a sweet girl and doesn't deserve to be dead because of the witch's interference.

"Let them try. It might even be entertaining" Katherine walks over to the hospital bed I'm standing by. In silence we watch as the cuts on the girls face start to heal over. "Are you sure you are okay with this?"

"She'll make a good vampire and an even better informant"

"If she can handle turning" Katherine points out.

"We'll be there to help her" I promise.

"Did your lover boy take care of your brother?"

"Yepp. As far as any one is concerned, it's Damon's blood that's in her system" I tell Katherine as I step away from the bed. Caroline starts to wake up but doesn't have enough time to notice me.

"Elena?" Caroline questions at the Doppelgänger staring down at her. "What are you doing here?"

"My name is Katherine. I was hoping you could give the Salvatore's brothers a message for me"

"What are you talking about? What message?" Caroline's voice trembles.

Katherine smirks, picking up the pillow, "Game on"


	18. The Prodigy

I watch from the shadows as poor Caroline ventures out of her hospital room. Katherine has her doubts about this scrap of a weak girl, but I can see it. Caroline is full of life. Even though life,itself,has tried to smother it. She's has plenty

of reasons to be broken- teenage girl with daddy issue, Type A neurotic control freak, high school queen B, bad boy's play thing; but she's not. She's strong because she has to be. She's smart because she's been taught hard lessons. I see it, even  
/if Katherine refuses to, this poor little girl will rise to the challenge. If for no other reason, she, after all, has Katherine and I to guide her.

"Can I get something to eat?" Caroline asks the nurse.

"Breakfast is at 7" The nurse offhandedly tells her.

"But I'm hungry"

"Go back to sleep" The nurse orders, and Caroline obeys. She meekly walks back to her room, and I quickly slip inside before she can shut the door.

"I can help" I say from the back of her room, startling the poor thing.

"You're Stefan's sister. What are you doing here?"

"Offering my help" I slowly start to walk towards her, "Offering what you crave. I'm offering you a new life full of power and beauty"

"What are you talking about? What new life?" Now I'm standing right in front of her.

"Caroline" I lift her chin up to look at me, "I'm offering you a new life. I promise you will master this. It might be hard, but you will own this. You will be magnificent"

"You promise?" I can tell she's still confused.

Instead of explaining, I hold out the bagged blood. She doesn't waste a minute to think, instead she grabs it and downs the whole thing.

Her hunger states three-forth's of the way through the bag and reality hit in, hard.

"Eww! What the hell!?"

"You're a vampire"

"Yeah, I kind of gathered that! I mean, how? Why? Elena killed me!"

"No… Katherine did-"

"Who the hell is Katherine?"

"I'm willing to explain it all, you just have to give me a chance to"

She takes a deep breath, then spits out with a venom, "Why?" Caroline asks folding her arms in front of her.

"Several reasons. Most importantly, I thought you would make a good vampire"

"Why?" She asks with a little less fierce of a tone.

"Because you were good at being a human, you just lack the badass-ery back up. Now you don't. You're welcome"

She scoffs, "I'm dead".

"Forever young" I counter.

"Why did Elena kill me?"

"It wasn't Elena. It was Katherine. Their doppelgängers. Katherine hates Elena, but she needs Elena. We will get to the details of it all later" I wave my hand in a dismissive action.

"Can I go home yet? I'm healed. Why am I still here?"

"Because vampire blood healed you. You would have died without it. It'd be kind of weird if you were on death's doorstep one day and discharged the next"

"But what about Matt? and the carnival? Plus I am so sick of this hospital gown" In her defense, the gown is awful…

"Okay. We are going to make a deal. I'll bring you clothes, do your hair and make up, IF you agree to stay here at the hospital until tomorrow night. Let your mom and Matt see that you're fine. I'll compel the doctors to discharge you after sun down and  
/even be here to get you to the carnival. Deal?"

"Fine" She says with an eye roll. "What's 'compel?"

"The word for mind control"

"Damon is a vampire too. He bit me. Why am I just now remembering he bit me?"

"A vampire has the ability to mind control regular humans, since you have transitioned into a vampire, it's wearing off"

"This sucks. I hate him"

"I'll help you kick his ass?"

"Really?"

"Sure. He's had it coming for a bit" That earns me a chuckle out of her.

"Am I really going to be okay?"

"You are" I tell her seriously before a smile takes over my face, "I'll help you. Together we will rock the Mystic Falls vamp scene. It'll be epic" I tell her pulling her into a hug. She hugs me back with a small sigh escaping her lips.

* * *

"Hey, you" Damon calls as I enter the house. I really hope it's nothing important. Running on zero sleep, while trying to plot _and_ keep secrets is rather difficult.

I follow his voice into the tv room and hop on to the couch next to him, "Yeah?"

"What happened at the hospital?"

"Um… what do you mean?" Uh, oh…

Damon leans in close to me, "I had to give Caroline some of my blood because you forgot"

"Oh, oops…" Thank whatever god gave me Nik, and his flawless compulsion skills.

"Yeah, oops. Good thing I stopped by or witchy would be tearing us both in half"

"She could try. Relax, it all worked out fine" I say with a shrug.

"This time" He says with an eye roll. "So, did you find something out about the Lockwoods?"

"I know that they _are_ _something_…"

"You already knew that. Look, I was at the Lockwood's this morning-"

"Why were you there?"

"The 'stand in' mayor appointed me head of the council"

"Nice. Smart more for you, her… not so much" He glares, and I give him my best innocent smile. "Any who, the old mayor's younger brother is in town asking baby Lockwood some interesting questions"

"Interesting… like that gave you the answer to the riddle?"

"No. Mostly about if the kid gets angry enough to blackout" He tells me.

"Hmmm… You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"What are you thinking?"

"That they hulk out. Literally. I know you've read the comics, it fits"

"Keep working on that, sherlock. Next issue, Katherine is back"

"Oh?"

"And because of that Stefan is walking on egg shells around me. It's rather entertaining"

Speak of the devil, Stefan walks in and plants himself on the other side of me. "We haven't seen the last of her, you know" Stefan tells us.

I look back and forth between my brothers, "Ohh… What do we do?"

"We need a plan" Stefan says.

"No. You need a plan" Damon says to Stefan, "She came back to confess her undying love for you, therefore we'll leave you to deal with her because Fran and I have better things to do" He says before leaving the house. With a shrug to Stefan I head upstairs  
/to my room, hoping to take a short coma before tonight's festivities.

* * *

"So, Matt was an asshole, I was a crazy bitch, and a warning about sunlight would have been wonderful! How was your day?" Caroline tells me as soon as I walk it to the room.

I cringe, "Yeah, sorry about that! I've had a daylight ring for so long that I sort have forgot about it. But don't worry, I've got a witch that's already making you one" I tell her as I set the bags down on the end of her bed.

"Good. Are those Jimmy Choo?" Caroline asks going through the bag of clothes I brought her.

"Yepp. Good eye, young Padawan" I plop myself on the end of her bed while making room for the make up and hair product.

"Did you just make a Star Wars reference?"

"Of course. You're my prodigy, in every sense of the word" I start with her make up, doing a neutral smoky eye to match the femme fatal inspired outfit I brought her.

"So, how old are you?"

"150, give or take"

"Wow! That's old!"

"Ha, that's nothing, sweets. My beau is like 6 times my age"

"Oh my god!"

"I know, right? I call him an old man, but he doesn't look a day over 24"

"What's it like, being a vampire?"

"It's freeing. Anything you ever want is for your taking. The world is your play grown. You want to be on broadway? I quick conversation with the director and you're in. You want seats to Fashion Week in New York? Done. College at Harvard? You're in.  
/Paris in the fall, Rome in the spring? It's all at the tip of your finger. The shackles of time no longer have any meaning to you. I love my life, because I choose to live it to the fullest" I finish my rant around the same time I finish her hair.

"Wow. Will you teach me how to do all of that?"

"Of course" I pull her off the bed, "first thing first, let's teach you how to hit"

She scoffs, "My mom's the sheriff. I know how to hit".

"Then let's see it" I say with a smile to my challenge.

"Not bad. Open up your feet a little bit, and don't pull your punches" She fixes her stance and swings a few more times.

"Good" I say with a nod, "Do you think you'll hit him?"

"Oh, I'm going to hit him" She says confidently.

"Can I film it?" I ask twirling my phone around in my hand.

"I'd love you forever if you did"

"I'll hold you to that" I say with a wink. "Now the second thing, let's teach you how to feed correctly" I let my eyes wonder to the nurse from last night, Caroline's eyes follow mine.

"Her? You want me to kill her?" She asks horrified.

"Not kill her, silly" I say with a shrug and a smile, "Just eat her".

"What?"

"Step one" I say, glossing over her momentary objections, "you compel her, not to feel any pain or remember you. Step two, bite and let the heart pump the blood into your mouth until you feel the beat slow. Lastly, pick your finger and heal the bite"

"That sounds so simple. Why was it not like that for me?"

"My brother is an asshole. Don't let his asshole-ness taint you" I say honestly.

She nods as I wave the nurse over.

"I know that you can do this" I whisper in her ear as the nurse comes in.

"You wont feel this, and you wont remember it either" She says before biting in to the woman's neck. I watch her hesitate just a tad before pulling back.

"That was really good. I'm really proud of you" I say with a beaming smile.

She flushes shyly, "Thanks"

"Now heal her and let's get to the carnival"

* * *

Once we get here, Caroline and I both split up. Leaving me to unintentionally run into my brothers eyeing Tyler like a science experiment gone wrong.

"Your lurking" Stefan tells Damon.

"Oh, why are we lurking?" I ask, startling both of them.

"I'm not lurking. I'm observing" Damon tells us.

"More like stalking" Stefan mutters.

We all watch as Tyler wins his third arm-wrestling match.

"He's got strength" Damon notes.

"And endurance. Did you see him run with the uncle this morning?" I add licking my lips. When Damon gives me a look I just shrug. "What? Just because I'm spoken for doesn't mean I don't have eyes"

Stefan rolls his eyes getting us back on the subject at hand, "He's a triple letter varsity athlete, of course he has strength. You two are reaching"

"Speaking of the yummy uncle" I murmur to Damon as Mason sits down to face off against Tyler.

Mason wins.

"Okay, he's the champ," Tyler says admitting defeat as he stands up to ask the crowd, "who wants to go next?"

"Stefan wants to go!" Damon shouts out, following his lead I give Stefan a gentle shove in Mason's direction.

"Yeah" Stefan says, half-heartedly, "I'll give it a shot"

"Get him, Stef!" Damon shouts.

"Yeah! Show him who's boss!" I cheer with him.

Stefan sits down across from Mason, "My siblings over there thinks I can beat you"

"Their wrong" Mason simply says.

Damon and I watch as the match starts. Stefan starts to win, but I can see the vein in his forehead making it's appearance. It only shows with he's frustrated.

Mason wins.

"You didn't put any effort in at all" Damon sneers at Stefan as he walks back to us.

"Actually, I did" Stefan tells him.

"Let's discuss this elsewhere" I say pushing both of them into the hallway.

"Is he…?" Damon starts.

"No. it wasn't that kind of strength, but it was more than human, if that makes any sense"

"It does. But that still doesn't give us an answer" I point out.

"What is with that family?" Damon rants. "Their not vampires, what the hell are they?"

"Ohh!" Stefan starts out in his serious tone, "maybe their ninja turtles?"

"I guessed the Hulk family" I tell Stefan.

"Hmm, that's a good one" He says with a nod.

"Neither of you are funny" Damon says, looking between the two of us.

"Or zombies" Stefan says

"Werewolves?" I joke.

"No comedic timing at all, neither of you" Damon says as he looks around, eyes narrowing on a carnival worker fixing something. Stefan and I drop the act knowing we've lost Damon's interest.

"What?" Stefan asks slightly worried, "What are you up to?"

"This is reality, there is no such thing as zombies, or werewolves… or combat turtles" He mumbles as he walks towards the guy. "Hey, you!"

"This is going to end badly" I mutter under my breath to Stefan.

"I have a name" The worker tells Damon.

"Yeah, I don't care" Damon says as he catches the guy's eyes line to compel him, "I need you to pick a fight with Tyler Lockwood"

"Damon, don't do this" Stefan says.

Damon waves him off, still talking to the guy, "Get him mad. Don't back down, no matter what he does"

"I wont back down" The guy murmurs as Damon releases him from the compulsion.

"Someone is going to get hurt" Stefan says.

"Oh calm down. It's for science" I tell him, Damon just chuckles.

"That Tyler kid is incapable of walking away from a fight, let's see who intervenes"

"Whatever. I'm finding Elena" Stefan says walking away.

"What a debbie downer" Damon says turning to me.

"Someone sounds jealous" I say in a sing-song voice.

Damon's about to reply, but the new presence of someone else in the hallway takes his attention.

"Hey blondie, they finally let you out?" Damon says to Caroline, who is studying a few feet away.

I, knowing what's coming, slowly slide away from Damon.

"I remember" She starts.

"You remember what?" Damon asks.

"I remember how you manipulated me, you pushed me around, abused me, erased my memories, fed on me!" She says as she slowly walks towards him.

"You're crazy" He tells her, looking towards for me to agree. I just shrug.

"My memories are coming back in pieces"

"You can't remember" He says with conviction. "It's impossible," Then it hits him, "I mean, unless you're becoming a vampire…".

I pull out my phone to start recording.

The smile that forms on her face is pure evil, I don't think I have ever been so proud, "I have a message from Katherine, she says 'Game On'" She rears her arm back and nails him right in the nose. He drops to the floor.

It was beautiful.

"You suck" She says to Damon's limp body.

"Sadly he'll be find in a few moments" I tell her.

"Did you get it?" She asks motioning to the phone.

"Yepp! Let's go have some fun!" I slip an arm through hers and let her lead me outside.

"Oh! There's Matt!" Caroline says, pulling me quickly towards the blond boy.

"The boyfriend who was an asshole?" I ask

"Yeah, but he didn't mean to be one" She whispers as we get closer.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asks with a little less warmth than a boyfriend should. Not that I'm judging…

"They discharged me, all better" Caroline says. It is then I notice that sometime during the day I have learned a few of Caroline's tells. For example, her voice is slightly higher when she talks about a subject she doesn't like.

"How do you feel?" The kid asks, still lacking warmth.

"I feel pretty good" Caroline tells him.

"Yeah? Cause earlier you were…" Yepp, she deserves better.

"I'm all better" She tells him with a quick kiss.

"Who's this?" He asks pointing to me.

"I'm Frannie Salvatore" I say sticking out my hand to shake.

"How come I haven't seen you at school?" He asks skeptically.

"I was spending the summer with some relatives, vacation went a little long" I say with a shrug.

"Whatever. You want me to win you a bear?" He asks Caroline.

I quietly slip away as they go do couple-ly things for a phone call to _my_ man.

_"Hello, beautiful"_ He says as he answers.

I couldn't keep the smile from my face if I tried, "I did something…"

_"Yes?_" He asks as I start to slowly stroll behind the school.

"Don't be mad," I take a quick look around, "I turned someone"

I hear him move somethings, probably painting, "_You turned someone?"_

"Yeah, and I adore her. She's perfect. I don't know if it's because she's the only person I've turned or if she really is the perfect baby vampire"

I hear him chuckle, "_I'm sure it's a little bit of both. You have good taste, raven, yet you have a talent of creating greatness. She is lucky to have you_"

"You're too sweet to me"

"_Nonsense. I'm an evil badass Original vampire who plots the destruction of the world"_ He deadpans, causing me to laugh loudly.

"But your _my_ evil badass"

_"Forever, I look forward to meeting her"_

"Any idea when you'll be here"

_"Soon, love"_

My attempt to get more information from him is cut short when I hear a scream "I'm going to have to call you back" I say as I hang up and rush towards the sound.

There is a dead body, Caroline is wrapped up in Damon's arms, and Damon has a stake pointed at her heart, and Stefan and Elena just walked up. _Great._

I move quickly knocking the stake out of Damon's hand and slamming him against the wall.

"You don't touch her!" I yell at him.

"What do you care?" He asks.

"Get away from me! You killed me!" I hear Caroline yell at Elena behind me.

"Just be useful and get rid of the body. I've got Caroline" I tell Damon.

But it's too late.

"No! No, you're not… No" Bonnie stammers out as she looks at Caroline. I was really hoping to avoid the witch.

"Bonnie" Caroline says pitifully. It makes my heart hurt, knowing what's coming.

"Oh, god" Bonnie says looking at Caroline like she just confessed to murdering kittens and kicking old people.

"Okay, that's enough" I say reaching for Caroline to get her out of here.

"I can't believe this is happening" Bonnie mutters, looking everywhere but at Caroline.

"Oh, come on. Don't pout. We've got a body to bury" Damon so helpfully tells her.

"I warned you what would happen if anyone else got hurt" Bonnie says glaring at Damon. I pull Caroline behind me as we watch the scene play out. I need to get her out of here, but I don't want to leave Damon to be killed by the witch since Stefan seems  
/to be doing jack shit about anything.

"I didn't do this" Damon says through clenched teeth.

"Bonnie, it wasn't his fault!" Elena yells as a fire starts on the floor. I back Caroline up a few steps.

"Stay right here" I whisper to here. She just nods, completely transfixed on the fire slowly making it's way to Damon.

With a roll of my eyes at Stefan's lack of doing anything and Elena's yelling, I vamp to the witch and spin her around. I didn't think this through. It breaks her concentration on the fire but leaves me open to being her sole focus.

She didn't disappoint. As the pain wracks through my skull I make a mental note that she is getting stronger. Then it just stops.

I open my eyes to see that Caroline has her up against the wall.

"Would you just stop? I'm not trying to be the center of attention but I _was _murdered by my best friend's look-a-like. Do you mind not killing the people who have some answers?" Feisty little thing.

"She deserves a fighting chance" I say looking between my siblings. Not trusting the group with her safety at the moment, I grab Caroline and vamp off.

I pull her all the way to the small bed and breakfast on the outskirts of town. "Where are we?"

"I thought you could use a night away from everything. Beside I have one more thing to show/tell you"

"Oh. Okay" She says following me inside.

We make our way through the hallways to stop outside a door.

"We knew you would make a wonderful vampire" I tell her.

"We?" She asks.

"We" I confirm before opening the door," Caroline Forbes, meet Katherine Pierce"


	19. Something in the Dark

"You!" Caroline says, stuttering out the words, "You! It was you, who killed me!"

"Surprise!" Katherine snarks with a shrug of her shoulders. "Are you going to hold it against me?"

Caroline stands there for a beat, at the threshold of the hotel room, just staring at Katherine.

"Are you going to try to kill me again?" Caroline asks.

"Depends. Do you want me to? Because I could. It'd almost be too easily for me to put my fist through your chest cavity and rip your heart out. Then you'd be dead. And I would, if that's what you want. But Frannie would tear up, because for some reason—don't ask me why—she believes in you. She thinks you have potential to be great, and on top of it all, she views you as a friend. So, I'm going to give you a choice… You can come in, and join us—we'll teach you everything we know, will be your family, we'll show you the world and always have your back; or you can leave—in which I'll kill you before you reach the elevator—I'll make it look like an accident, your family and friends can bury you, dead and done. It's your choice, sweetness; greatness or death."

Caroline doesn't answer, instead choosing to step in to the hotel room with a smirk on her face.

I clap my hands together with a smile on my face, "This calls for Champaign!"

We spent the night drink, dancing, and laughing. For a night, my family was whole. God have mercy on the fool who wishes to chance that.

"There's a party tonight," Caroline says from in front of the bathroom mirror.

"Point?" Katherine asks.

"It'd be fun. It's at the swimming hole, cute boys—shirtless…"

Katherine hums in acknowledgement, "I think we should go."

There's a glint in Katherine's eye that would have anyone else concerned, but I know her too well.

"Well, who am I to say 'no' to a party?" I ask instead.

"We have to be careful though. Stefan wants me to spend the day with him," Caroline says, eyes darting between Katherine and I.

"How am I not aware of this?" I ask.

"IDK. He texted me a few minutes ago, wanting to 'show me the ropes' about being a vampire," Caroline says with a shrug.

"He's just trying to win brownie points with 'bargain-brand me'," Katherine mutters.

"He didn't text me," I complain to the girls. "I messaged him last night. Well, that's just rude."

"Do you think he's suspicious?" Katherine asks.

"That would complicate things," I say more to myself than to the girls.

"I could find out? I mean, gossip-espionage is sort of my thing," Caroline says.

"Think you can play him, baby vamp?" Katherine asks in an almost mocking tone.

"Doubt me?" Caroline asks, raising to the bait.

"Never," Katherine and I say in sync.

"If you two think you can handle the party, I'm going to go crash the field trip. Elena and Damon are headed to Duke University looking for info on werewolves."

Kathrine chuckles along with me, knowing full well where this search will lead them.

"Exciting, have fun love!" Katherine calls out, as she jumps up to start getting ready for the party.

* * *

"Sorry you can't come too, Stef," Damon says from the front seat of Alaric's car.

Stefan ignores him in favor of a sickening-sweet gag worthy goodbye moment with his girlfriend. With a final kiss, Elena crawls into the backseat.

"Oh, I'll take really good care of her," Damon says with a wink to Stefan.

Stefan's jaw clenches, and I nudge Damon in the shoulder I could reach from the backseat.

"Do you have to antagonize him?" I ask under my breath, knowing he'd be able to hear me.

"Uh, yes," Damon says to me, "I'm sure it's in the fine print of the deal I made with the devil. Who am I to renegade on such a thing as tormenting my brother?"

Rolling his eyes at Damon, Alaric puts the car in drive and we pull away from the curb. I can't help but think it's going to be a long care ride.

"How are the lovely ladies in the back seat?" Damon asks as we pull into the gas station, about 20 minutes away from campus. This is the first time anyone has said a word on this trip. Alaric had quickly given up on searching for any good music on the radio and just turned it off. There is clear tension between Elena and Damon, as she wont look at him and he wont stop looking at her.

Neither Elena nor I spare him a look as Alaric gets out to pump gas.

"You know," Damon says, "this whole pretending to hate me thing is getting a little silly."

"What did you do?" I ask him.

"He killed her brother," Alaric says, getting back into the car.

"There is a huge asterisk next to that statement: he came back to life," Damon pouts.

"Yeah, thanks to a ring you didn't know he was wearing!" Elena snarls at him, granting Damon a look for the first time this trip.

"So, the boy _is_ alive?" I ask.

"Yes. My _brother_ is alive!" Elena says, glaring at me.

"Then I don't see the problem…"

"Thank you!" Damon says, wildly gesturing to me.

"The problem is that Damon could have actually killed him," Elena says.

"But he didn't," I point out, politely as I could.

"Why are you so sure I didn't see the ring?" Damon asks.

"Did you?" Elena challenges.

"Elena, I saw the ring! It's a big tacky thing. Hard to miss," Damon said.

She doesn't answer, choosing to cross her arms and stare out the window.

Alaric puts the car in drive, and we are back out on the road, and back to not talking.

* * *

"You know, people say the first step to become a serial killer is hurting animals…" Caroline says.

"We aren't hurting them. We are hunting them. There is a difference," Stefan says, trying to assure her.

"A difference? You want me to hunt Bambi!"

"Caroline—"

"Stefan, we have been at this all afternoon. I need a break," Caroline argues weakly.

"I know you do, but this is important. I need to know that you know how to feed without killing people—" Stefan says.

"So those are my two options? Killing a person or killing Bambi?"

"Caroline," Stefan say placatingly.

"Look, I just want to go see Tyler. There is a group of people hanging out at the Water Hole tonight," Caroline starts.

Stefan looks at her doubtfully.

"I'll be fine. I promise," Caroline assures him.

He lets out a sigh, and Caroline smiles.

"So, now that we've agreed on our plans for tonight, what's up with you and your sister?"

"Why do you think there is something up between my sister and I?" Stefan asks.

"You do know who you're talking to, right?"

Stefan chuckles and shrugs his shoulders.

"It's getting on my nerves, the way she's treating Elena."

"Have you said something to her?" Caroline asks.

"I don't know what to say. I'm afraid if I say the wrong thing she'll disappear again.

"That's it?" Caroline asks dubiously.

"Yes," Stefan runs a hand through his hair. "I don't want to choose between the two of them. Frannie's my sister—but I really do like Elena."

Caroline lets out a chuckle.

"Mr. Broody, you're ridiculous," she tells him.

"Excuse me?"

"That's what you're worried about? Just tell her to easy up. She's your sister. She doesn't want to disappear anymore than you want her to."

That earned her a louder laugh from the usually serious man.

"Alright, I'll tell her," Stefan says, "Maybe then she'll feel comfortable enough to tell me whatever secret she's obviously been hiding."

* * *

I would like to thank you for still reading this story after all this time. I really do appreciate it!  
I hope you have a wonderful New Years and an even better 2017!


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